NB 850 x SNEAKER FREAKER 'SKIPPY'

The first priority was to select the model. Whilst the NB1500 is a universal classic, our eyes were immediately drawn to a NB newbie, the lightweight performance 850. This ‘90s runner has a lovely rake and enough panelling to line Andre the Giant’s den. Admittedly, we aren’t lifelong aficionados of the 850, but if anything, we saw that as a positive. There’s no emotional baggage and there’s only ever been a handful of colour-ups. To be honest, we felt that NB hadn’t ever done justice to this particular silhouette.

The second step was a structural one. NB stripped as much out of the shoe as possible to keep the 850’s weight down. In doing so, we felt it had been pancaked a little too heavily. Like Steve Austin, we knew we could rebuild it, so we added some extra memory-type foam around the collar, as well as beefing up the padding in the tongue. It’s a relatively minor addition, but one that we think makes the new 850 stand upright and proud, with a little extra bump for your stumps.

With the shoe now in shape, it was time to get out the magic markers. There’s nothing like a dab of green and wattle gold for aussie flavor, but in this case, that was beside the point. It’s simply impossible to ignore the tanbark coloured toebar on this shoe. Yeah, it’s crazier than a mad woman’s spit, but the inspiration was in our self-imposed brief. Fear no evil! Let’s smash down some barriers and mixmaster two things that have no damn right to look good. If I told you that caramel leather and neon yellow would look hot, you’d probably laugh, but the proof is in the macropus pudding. And check out that oatmeal midsole against the white rubber sole – super fresh!